Indigenous leaders fight to have secretariat and indigenous district planned in Manaus

Mencius Melo – from Cenarium Magazine

MANAUS – Leaders of the original peoples who inhabit the urban area of the capital of Amazonas plan to meet with the mayor of Manaus (CMM), Councilman Caio André (PSC), to claim the creation of a municipal secretariat of indigenous peoples. The meeting, scheduled for early March, also has as an agenda the construction of a theme park and a planned neighborhood for indigenous people living in the urban area of Manaus.

According to Estevão Yepamasã, one of the leaders of the meeting, the idea is to resume an old discussion: “We will meet with Councilman Caio André to resume a discussion raised a few years ago which is the creation of the Municipal Indigenous Peoples Secretariat, a claim that the ‘relatives’ want to be taken up by the municipal government”, said the leader.

Estevão Yepamasã reinforces the importance of welcoming regarding the plans that involve an area, environmentally and culturally planned, aimed at indigenous people.

“Our other agenda is the construction of an environmentally and culturally planned area. An indigenous neighborhood. We have this project and we would like him to defend it as a councilman, as a parliamentarian who acts for the interests of the city’s population”, he argued.

Amazon Fund

In addition to the creation of the secretariat and the construction of a planned neighborhood, the indigenous people want the City Hall to act for a possible direction of the Amazon Fund for actions directed to urban indigenous people.

“Another agenda is to verify the position of the municipal government so that we can access the Amazon Fund and thus have access to resources to work with the indigenous people of Manaus,” said Estevão Yepamasã.

The indigenous told CENARIUM that a meeting is also scheduled with the mayor of Manaus, David Almeida (Avante), to strengthen the projects. “Amarildo Tukano and I are seeking an understanding with the city government so that these ideas can become a reality, but for this to happen, the participation and involvement of Mayor David Almeida is fundamental,” concluded Estevão Tukano.